S3 - E16 - Dr. Karen McGregor - Best in Class Basic Needs Support Badging Program (Culture)

In this episode, we explore Purdue Global’s Best in Class Basic Needs Support Badging Program, an innovative approach to building a campus-wide culture of care for students facing non-academic challenges. Designed for a large population of working adult learners, the program empowers faculty and staff to identify students struggling with issues such as food insecurity, housing instability, and other basic needs, and connect them with trained Student Success Coaches. Through a four-tier badging system (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum), participants progressively deepen their engagement, from learning how to recognize and refer students in need to actively championing support initiatives across the institution. The conversation highlights how a relatively low-cost, scalable program can mobilize an entire campus community to support student well-being and success, while fostering a culture where basic needs support truly becomes everyone’s responsibility.